Hemp-brake



C. WHITE.

HEMP BRAKE APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, l9l9. RENEWED SEPT. 18,1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

' WITNESSES INVENTOR.

BY w fl ATTORNEY.

1,358,907, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

C. WHITE.

HEMP BRAKE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1919- RENEWED SEPT. 18, 1920- 1,358,907. Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. V

INVEN'I'OR.

WITNESSES Q Q M6627 N g azure/hi] M124! B ATTORNEY.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHURCHILL WHITE, OF TAT-IMAGE, KENTUCKY.

HEMP-BRAKE.

To allwhom it may concern.

r e it known that I, CHURCHILL lVHrrn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Talmage, in the county of Mercer and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hemp-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to machines for disintegrating hemp and like herbaceous plants so as to separate the fiber from the bark, the purpose being to provide a machine of this character which will perform the work in a rapid and effective manner without injuring the fiber and which will break and loosen the bark so as to facilitate its separation' from the fiber, the machine being of such formation as to prevent choking by a too-rapid feed of the material.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions, various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings hereto attached,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a machine for breaking hemp and like herbaceous plants embodying the invention, a portion being broken away to show more clearly the operating means.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end view.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in-the following description and indicated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The machine comprises a suitable base and uprights which constitute a supporting frame work for the operating parts. The base comprises longitudinal sills 1, a platform 2 secured to the sills 1 and cross timbers 3. -The parts are further strengthened by braces 4 which are interposed between the ends of the sills 1 and the cros stimbers 3.

' To facilitate transportation, the machine is Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 411,265.

Wheels 6, the axle being connected directly to the sills 1. The front truck comprises an axle 7 and wheels 8, the axle being pivotally connected to a cross piece 9 which is secured to the front ends of the sills 1. A pole or tongue 10 is connected to the axle 7 in any manner, and provides for applying a team to the machine when moving it from one place to .another.

Rising from the base are uprights 11 and 12 which are connected at their upper ends by means of cross pieces 13 and longitudinal bars 14: and 15. These uprights are braced by means of stays 16 which connect the terminal portions of the sills 1 therewith. Vertical bars 17 project upwardly from an end of the cross timbers 3 and are connected at their upper ends by means of a longitudinal bar 18. Short bars 19 connect the upper ends of the vertical bars 17 with the uprights 12. A longitudinal bar 20 is secured to the vertical bars 17 a short distance above the platform and its ends project beyond the bars 17, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1.

A longitudinal bar 21 extends between the uprights 12 and is attached at its ends there to and is beveled on its upper side and serves as a guide and rest for directing and supporting the material as the same is lifted to the machine. A plurality of blades 22 are supported by the uprights 12 adjacent the bar 21 and are relatively fixed. said blades having their upper edges in echelon arrangement, the outermost blade having its upper edge about in the plane of the upper surface of the bar 21 and the remaining blades 22 having their upper edges in higher planes progressively so that the material is gradually elevated in its passage through the machine. Other blades 23 are disposed in alternation with the fixed blades 22 and are mounted to have a vertical movement imparted thereto and are carried by a vertically movable frame which is mounted upon the uprights 11 and 12. The blades 23 have their upper edges about in the same plane. The uprights 12 are formed with vertical slots 24 through which the ends of the blades 23 project, the projecting ends of the blades being let into the vertical members 25 of the vertically movable frame which is mounted on the uprights 11 and 12. The vertical members 25 are connected at their upper ends by means of a cross piece Patented Nov. 16, 1920., Application filed March 12, 1919, Serial No. 282,080. Renewed September 18, 1920.

26. In the rear of the blades 22 is located a plurality of blades 27 which are relatively fixed, with their upper edges about in the same plane which is slightly above the plane of the upper edges of the blades 22. Blades 28 are disposed in alternation with the blades 27 and are relatively movable being connected at their ends to the vertical members 25 of the vertically movable frame. A delivery board 29 is located in the rear of the blades 27 with its upper side about in the plane of the upper edges of said blades. The upper face of the delivery board 29 inclines outwardly and rearwardly to facilitate the delivery of the fiber after the bark has been broken and detached or loosened.

A' plurality of blades 30 is located above the sets of blades 22 and 23 and are in line with the respective blades 23. The blades 30 are yieldable vertically and are connected at their ends to blocks 31 which are mounted in openings formed in the uprights 12 and which blocks are normally pressed downwardly by expansible helical springs 32 which are located in the openings formed in the uprights 12. Shims 33 provide means for adjusting the tension of the springs 32, whereby the resistance to the upward movement of the blades 30 may be varied. Covers 34 close openings formed in the vertical members 25 in line with the openings formed in the uprights 12, said covers being pivoted so as to be turned aside when access is required to the parts 31, 32 and 33. The lower edges of the blades 30 are in different relative planes thereby facilitating the breaking action in separating and loosening the bark of the plants undergoing treatment. The bank of blades 30 acts as anabutment for cooperation with the blades 23 and also serve as a gage to control the feed of the material thereby preventing choking of the machine by over feeding. The downward movement of the blades 30 is limited by rods 35 which are connected at their lower ends to the blades 30 and pass upwardly through openings formed in blocks 36 supported upon the uprights 12 and longitudinal bar 15 and which have their upper ends threaded to receive adjusting nuts 37. By proper adjustment of the nuts 37 the blades 30 may be moved vertically to vary the space between their edges and the edges of the blades 22 with the result of varying the feed space.

A plurality of blades 38 is carried by the vertical members 25 of the vertically movable frame and are disposed in line with the respective blades 28 and move therewith, hence alternate with the blades 27'. The lower edges of the blades 38 are in different planes to facilitate the breaking action. The blades 38 force the material between the fixed blades 27 and the blades 28 serve to keep the spaces between the blades'27 clear and prevent the material from accumulating between the blades 27 and impeding the action of the machine. A strut 39 is mounted upon the blades 38 at a central point and receives the stress of a truss rod 40 which is connected at its ends to the vertical members 25. In this manner the blades 38 are braced at an intermediate point The strut 39 projects atone end and'operates in a vertical slot formed in an upright 41 which is connected at its lower end to the board 29 and at its upper end to the longitudinal bar 14.

A longitudinal beam 42 extends through vertical slots formed in the vertical members 25 and its ends project and are connected by means of pitmen 43 with crank members 44 at the ends of a longitudinal shaft 45 upon which is keyed a belt pulley 46 which receives power from a suitable source by means of a belt 47. The longitudinal beam 42 is yieldably connected with the cross piece 26soas to prevent injury to the breaker mechanism and provide for automatic adaptation of the machine to the bulk of material passing therethrough. The yieldable connection consists of rods 48 which are connected at their lower ends to the beam 42 and pass loosely through openings formed in the connecting member 26. Expansible helical springs 49 are mounted upon the rods 48 and are confined between the cross piece 26 and washers 50 mounted upon the upper ends of the rods 48. Nuts 51 threaded upon the upper ends of the rods 48 provide for adjusting the tension of the springs 49. The crank members 44 consist of disks secured tothe shaft 45 and provided with wrist pins-to which the lower ends of the pitm'en 43- are connected. The crank members 44 are inclosed and are made accessible by means ofremovable covers 52.

The drive belt 47 is "protected by means of a suitable housing 53.. Boards 54extend across the breakermechanism and direct the broken and detached barlrof'the material to' one side of the machine. A board 55 is disposed at one side of the machine and prevents the material from being drawn through the machine by the drive beltland pulley 46."- Turn buttons or-like fastening means 56 retain the board-55 in place.

The machine is moved from one place to another by means of'the truck and when positioned for operation the trucks may be removed or the ground excavated to'rec'eive the ground wheels. The material to be treated is fed from'one side of the machine to the breaker mechanism, the bark being broken and loosened and detached by the breaker mechanism, and the fiber being discharged on the opposite side of the machine. It is to be understood that the ma terial may be fed and delivered in any manner and usually this is carried out by'hand,

.the feeders being disposed upon one side. of

the machine and the receivers upon the opposite or delivery side of the machine.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1- 1. In a hemp mechanism, a supporting frame, a plurality of abutment breaker blades, a movable frame, breaker blades on the movable frame adapted to cooperate with the abutment breaker blades, a beam, means yieldably and adjustably connecting the beam with the movable frame, a shaft on the supporting frame and having crank members at its ends and pitmen connecting the crank members with the ends of the said beam.

2. In a machine of the character specified, a supporting frame, banks of upper and lower abutment breaker blades disposed in diiferent vertical planes, means for vertically adjusting the upper bank of abutment blades, upper and lower sets of movable breaker blades carried by the movable frame and cooperating with the said abutment breaker blades, combined guide and bracing "162L113 for the upper set of movable breaker blades, a longitudinal beam, means yieldably and adjustably connecting the longitudinal beam with the movable frame and means for imparting a vertical reciprocatory movementto the longitudinal beam. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHURCHILL WHITE. Witnesses:

J. F. VAN ARSDALL. T. R. GRITTON. 

